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Tuesday, 11 April 2017

FRA expresses concern over threats to civil society and freedom of education in the EU

The
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) emphasises the vital
role of civil society and academic freedom in bolstering our
democracies, and affirms the Agency’s commitment to protecting civil
society throughout the EU.

The
EU is a space in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology
circulate freely. Article 13 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
the European Union, which was approved by the leaders of all EU Member
States in 2000, reflects national and international standards by
explicitly stating that the arts and scientific research must be free
from constraints.“Hungary’s new law threatening the existence of a number of
widely respected universities is a matter of great concern to everyone
working in the field of human rights,” said FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty. “Human
rights, the rule of law and democracy are the core values on which the
EU was founded, and none of them are possible without a flourishing and
vibrant civil society.” Academia is a key component of civil society, which also comprises
churches, religious and belief groups, trade unions, employers’
organisations, social and professional organisations, and of course
NGOs.From its close cooperation with these organisations, the Fundamental
Rights Agency knows that their work is becoming more difficult, not just
in one or a few Member States, but across the EU. FRA is currently
examining the prevailing and changing conditions for the work of civil
society, and has found that the regulatory environment in particular can
impose serious restrictions on the capacity of civil society
organisations to operate freely. Difficulties in accessing funding are
growing, while opportunities to contribute to decision-making processes
are diminishing. In some places there has even been harassment and
violent attacks of human rights defenders.In addition to this research, the results of which will be published
later this year, FRA is in the process of relaunching the Fundamental
Rights Platform, a forum that seeks to develop a protective space within
which civil society organisations can continue to work, wherever they
operate in the EU.source: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

DARE, Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe, is a Europe-wide network that aims to promote education for democratic citizenship and human rights. The network currently consists of 38 member organisations from 24 countries in Europe.